Both hospitals will re-schedule appointments ahead of the planned five-day strike next week

Dr Al-Any worked at the Whittington Hospital in 2013. Photo: Steve Parsons

The Whittington Hospital said it will have additional consultants, specialist nurses and pharmacy staff in the emergency department to minimise waiting times.

The hospital will be contacting patients to reschedule non-urgent services and asks anyone with an appointment or operation scheduled during the planned strike action to be in touch.

The Royal Free said it would be contacting patients whose treatment is affected, although it is trying to keep cancellations to a minimum.

A Royal Free spokeswoman said: “The emergency departments (accident and emergency units and urgent care centres) in all three of our hospitals will remain open and we will ensure there is appropriate cover in those departments.”

A Whittington spokeswoman said: “We would like to reassure all our patients that we will continue to provide urgent and emergency care throughout these latest planned strikes.

“Throughout the planned industrial action will do our best to minimise waiting time for patients in our emergency department.

The British Medical Association announced junior doctors will stage a full withdrawal of labour for five days, between 8am and 5pm, September 12-16, as part of a series of strikes.

– If you are a junior doctor with views about the strike action, contact anna.behrmann@archant.co.uk

I live in the north west of London in the United Kingdom. Like the rest of the country, I have been looking on in bewilderment at the Brexit deal while politicians on both sides of the house vie for political supremacy. Divisions in government make for good news headlines but do nothing for the public’s confidence in its institutions.

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